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Air Quality 101
Air Quality 101
AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON
• AAH researches greatest air pollution challenges to understand how to improve public health and quality of life.
• AAH offers educational programs to Houston-area youth about air pollution in our region.
• AAH advocates for Houston’s communities, meet with legislators, partner with regulators, and organize meetings between industry and communities to promote the protection of health.
OUR RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR
YOUR HUMAN RIGHT TO CLEAN AIR
International Law and human rights charters have established that every person is entitled to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment
Unfortunately, this has not stopped governments and corporations from creating toxic pollution zones where the rights of neighbors are infringed upon. Often times, the need for jobs, modernization, and “progress” is cited as justifications for such actions.
UNITED STATES LAW
• Air Pollution Control Act 1955
• Clean Air Act, by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Congress passed the National Environmental Policy Act in 1969 recognizing that “every person should enjoy a healthy environment”
CLEAN AIR ACT 1970
• Congress designed the Clean Air Act to combat a variety of air pollution problems
• Clean Air Act requires EPA to establish National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for certain common and widespread pollutants.
• The EPA has set NAAQS for six common pollutants: particulate matter (PM), Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon monoxide, and Lead.
CLEAN AIR ACT PROGRAMS
1. Air Quality and Emissions Limitations
2. Ozone Protection
3. Prevention of Air Quality Deterioration
4. Plan requirement for non-attainment areas
AIR POLLUTANTS
Air Quality 101
Ground Level Ozone
Air Toxics
Particulate Matter
AIR POLLUTANTS FORMATION EXPOSURE HEALTH EFFECTS
PARTICULATE
MATER
Superfine dust and tiny droplets of things such as the smoke emitted from
diesel engines.
PM is very small and they travel deep into the lungs
and eventually into the blood.
Respiratory infections, asthma, pre-natal
complications.
GROUND LEVEL OZONE
Formed by the chemical reaction of UV radiation
with emissions from industry, diesel, and
other sources.
Heavily influenced by complex weather patterns
and industrial emission events.
Impaired lung development, asthma
and respiratory infections, may harm
newborns.
AIR TOXICS Different chemicals mostly found within
manufactories.
Contact with acid gases such as Benzene which is
found in gasoline.
Risk of cancer, damage to immune system,
neurological problems, and respiratory
problems.
OZONE Air Quality 101
NONE OZONE DAY VS HIGH OZONE ACTION DAY
OZONE FORMATION ATMOSPHERICALLY
EFFECTS OF OZONE ON RESPIRATORY HEALTH
• Shortness of breath
• Respiratory infections
• Wheezing
• Asthma attacks • coughing • Pulmonary
inflammation
CHILDREN AND LONG-TERM OZONE EXPOSURE
• Affects lung development
• Asthma
• May harm newborns
– Reduce lung function
– Low birth weight
Ozone pollution affects everyone in our region and is heavily influenced by complex weather
patterns and industrial emission events.
Ozone Monitoring Network
HOUSTON CLEAN AIR NETWORK . COM
http://houstoncleanairnetwork.com/
Air Toxics Air Quality 101
AIR TOXICS
• Sources: factories, refineries, plants, cars, cleaning solvents
• Exposure:
– Breathing contaminated air
– Eating contaminated food
– Drinking contaminated water
– Touching contaminated soil, dust, water
COMMON AIR TOXICS
• Acid gases
• Asbestos
• Benzene
• Formaldehyde
• Metals
– Mercury
– Lead
– Arsenic
HEALTH EFFECTS OF AIR TOXICS
• Increased risk of cancer
• Damage to immune system
• Neurological problems
• Respiratory problems
BENZENE AND CHILDREN
• High levels linked to childhood leukemia in SE Texas
• Association found between benzene and Spina bifida in Texas
Particulate Matter
Air Quality 101
Fine Particles: A Threat on the Rise
Actual shapes of PM
PM: Respiratory Health Effects
• Coughing
• Difficulty breathing
• Reduced lung functioning
• Asthma aggravation
PM: Cardiovascular Health Effects
• Increase risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases
• Contributes to cardiovascular morbidity
PM: Increased Risk of Cancer
• Long term exposure to PM is associated with increase in lung cancer mortality even among non-smokers.
VOLATILE ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS Air Quality 101
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
Organic compounds: are chemicals that contain carbon and are found in all living things.
Volatile organic compounds,: sometimes referred to as VOCs, are organic compounds that easily become vapors or gases. They always contain carbon and in other occasions they contain elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, sulfur or nitrogen
VOC’S SOURCES -EMISSIONS
Released from burning fuel, such as gasoline, wood, coal, or natural gas and they are emitted from oil and gas fields and diesel exhaust. They are also released from solvents, paints, glues, and other products that are used and stored at home and at work. Volatile organic compounds, when combined with nitrogen oxides, react to form ground-level ozone. Examples of volatile organic compounds are gasoline, benzene, formaldehyde , solvents such as toluene and xylene the main solvent used in dry cleaning.
VOC’S EFFECT ON HEALH
Long-term exposure to volatile organic compounds can cause damage to the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. Short-term exposure to volatile organic compounds can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, fatigue, loss of coordination, allergic skin reactions, nausea, and memory impairment.
PROJECTS AND STUDIES
Galena Park Monitoring Project
Fine PM in Galena Park
• 1 of 31 samples violated
the EPA 24-hour standard.
• Average of all samples
was 15.4 μg/m3, above the
EPA annual standard of
12 μg/m3.
Diesel Particulate Matter Elemental Carbon (EC) is used as an
indicator of diesel particulate matter
pollution.
• EC levels above 0.838 µg/m3 for
24 hours can be associated with
an excess risk of cardiovascular
and respiratory hospitalizations
on the day of exposure.
• EC levels above 1.36 µg/m3 for
24 hours can be associated with
an excess risk of cardiovascular
mortality two to three days after
exposure.
Pasadena Community
Project
PROJECT GOALS
• Raise community awareness about air pollution and build strong community advocates in North Pasadena.
• Educate Pasadena decision-makers about air pollution and potential health impacts on residents.
• Build partnerships with community organizations with common interests in the community of North Pasadena to strengthen the voice of the residents.
• Advocate for an anti-idling ordinance in the City of Pasadena.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
• Community Surveys
• Community Mapping Workshops
• Community Air Monitoring
• Community Advocacy for an “Anti-Idling” ordinance.
CONCRETE BATCH PLANTS
ADVOCATING FOR RELIEF AND REGULATIONS
The concrete batch plants, which produce ready-mix concrete vital for building new roads and buildings, are given license to locate in residential areas and operate around the clock. According to a Houston Chronicle analysis from February, Harris County has 188 facilities, more than any other county in Texas and twice the number in Dallas County. A study by the city last year of 40 batch plants found more than 40 violations, including inadequate dust control and visible emissions leaving property line.
HOW WHERE WE LIVE, WORK, LEARN AND PLAY IMPACTS OUR HEALTH?
The placement of these facilities fits in with decades of environmental racism in Houston, where minority communities are disproportionately burdened with environmental degradation, said Bob Bullard, a professor at Texas Southern University and described by many as the father of environmental justice.
PERMITS AND TCEQ IF you ever receive notice stating that a permit for the construction of a new concrete batch plant has been submitted to the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for approval. Public records indicate that your home or property may be within 440 yards of this site should which entitle you to request a public meeting and contested case hearing from TCEQ
TCEQ will only hold a public meeting if an elected official requests a meeting or if there is significant interest in an application, so be sure to tell elected official(s) and neighbors that they should submit a request too.
• your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, daytime phone number;
• (2) applicant’s name and registration number
• (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing”
• (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public
• (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility
• (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility.
BUCKET BRIGADE AIR SAMPLING
SUPPORTING DATA FROM AIR MONITORING ACTIVITIES
We have estimated that in Harris County a staggering 1 million pounds of pollution were released during the days immediately prior to and after the storm due to plant shut downs, start-ups, and malfunctions.
Over 40 pollutants were released during this time including some of the most harmful to health such as benzene, 1,3 butadiene, toluene, xylene, hexane, sulfur dioxide among others. We have study after study showing the link between heart attacks, asthma attacks, and other public health impacts from increased air pollution.
BUCKET BRIGADE – COMMUNITY MONITOR
Forming a Bucket Brigade to document excessive pollution in a community is a big step in working to make a neighborhood environmentally safe. The Bucket Brigade is a proven method of success, and can offer technical and financial support for residents.
• Having specific technical information makes it possible to track and reduce health threats in your neighborhood.
• By using the toxic release inventory or national pollution inventory, a community group can identify which toxins are released by a specific facility and then create a health impacts assessment.
ANTI-IDLING ORDINANCE
ANTI-IDLING ORDINANCE
Idle reduction describes technologies and practices that minimize the amount of time drivers idle their engines. Avoiding idling time has multiple benefits including: savings in fuel and maintenance costs, improving community health, and reducing air pollution exposure.
REDUCING IDLING BENEFITS
COST
• The EPA estimates that one heavy-duty truck burns as much as 1,830 gallons of fuel annually due to unnecessary idling. That is equal to over $4,750 per year that could be saved by eliminating idling.
• The added wear of restarting the engine is much less costly than that of wasted fuel. Idling actually increases overall engine wear by causing the car to operate for longer than necessary.
REDUCING IDLING BENEFITS
ENVIRONMENTAL
• The average truck produces about 21 tons of carbon dioxide annually while idling. For every 10 minutes your engine is off, you will prevent one pound of carbon dioxide.
• Diesel truck idling produces a complex mixture of thousands of different air pollutants including fine particulate-matter, nitrogen-oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, which are precursors to ozone formation.
REDUCING IDLING BENEFITS
HEALTH
• Idling tailpipes spew out the same pollutants as moving cars which have been linked to serious illnesses including asthma, heart disease, chronic bronchitis, and cancer.
• Diesel particulates have been classified as an air toxic, can cause chronic disease, and carry the highest cancer risk of any other air toxic in the Houston region.
DIESEL EXHAUST EXPOSURE ON STUDENTS • Texas school children are exposed to diesel exhaust while riding on a school
bus, while boarding or exiting from the school bus, while waiting for parent pick-up in areas adjacent to idling school buses and while indoors at school.
• Numerous studies have documented that diesel exhaust concentrations inside the bus are much higher than the levels outside the bus.
• Yale University researchers, in conjunction with Environment and Human Health, Inc., recorded pollution levels during school bus trips using a monitor attached to a child’s backpack. The study revealed that students on school buses were exposed to levels of particulate pollution that were 5-15 times higher than background levels
ANTI-IDLING ORDINANCES GALENA PARK, JACINTO CITY, AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON
Air Alliance Houston’s mission is to improve air quality and protect public health trough research, education, and advocacy.
Paula Torrado Plazas
713-528-3779
www.airalliancehouston.org
